About this episode Nutrition is a crucial foundation for performance, underpinning everything from preparation via fuelling and hydration, to recovery, as well as playing a key role in injury prevention, sleep and mental performance. We speak with Accredited Sports Dietitian Emilie Burgess, and take a deep dive into the nutrition pillars that underpin performance. She explains the key nutrients which assist in supporting our ability to train and perform at our best, and dispels some common performance myths.    About today’s guest Emilie Burgess is an Accredited Sports Dietitian, with more than 10 years’ experience in the performance nutrition landscape. Graduating from the University of Sydney in 2007, Emilie went on to complete a Diploma of Sports Nutrition through the International Olympic committee. She is co-director and performance dietitian at The Athlete’s Kitchen. Based in Tasmania, she consults to Cricket Tasmania, Tennis Tasmania and Netball Tasmania, as well as working in private practice. Supporting resources https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/nuts-for-sport-and-fitness/ Fact sheets Nuts for weight and fitness: https://d131k5wuh4trw5.cloudfront.net/uploads/Weight-fitness-goals-FINAL-181021.pdf Nut FAQs answered: https://d131k5wuh4trw5.cloudfront.net/uploads/FAQ-FINAL-181021.pdf Sign up to NutENews Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn Credits Host: Belinda Neville Contact us [email protected]

About this episode In Europe, and in the US, regulators have approved the use of health claims for walnuts improving endothelial function, and for macadamias reducing the risk of heart disease, respectively. Yet to date, no such 'food-health relationship' claim has been approved for use in Australia by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).   A recent review looked into the strength of the evidence for nuts in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The body of evidence suggests that nuts have a significant beneficial impact on several indicators (or biomarkers) of CVD. Dr. Lauren Houston takes us through the research and summarises the findings - which support the food-health relationship between nuts and the risk of CVD. About today’s guest Dr. Lauren Houston is a Research Fellow in the Cardiovascular Program at The George Institute for Global Health and is a Conjoint Lecturer at the University of New South Wales, Sydney. She completed her PhD in June 2021 at the University of Wollongong in the field of Health Sciences. Her research interests are in large-scale clinical trials in chronic disease prevention and treatment. Lauren currently works in the research areas of type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and cardio oncology though she has also been involved in research focusing on overweight and obesity, hypertension, gestational diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and mobile health applications. Dr. Houston has presented her research at several national and international conferences and was awarded best oral presentation at the Asia Pacific Conference on Clinical Nutrition 2017. She has strong international ties across Europe and the United States. Dr. Houston was selected as an emerging early-career researcher to attend the Oceanic Nutrition Leadership Program in 2020. Supporting resources Nuts and risk of cardiovascular disease – A systematic review and meta-analysis of the diet-disease relationship https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/nuts-and-cardiovascular-disease-what-does-the-science-say/ Sign up to NutENews Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn Credits Host: Belinda Neville Contact us [email protected]

About this episode In today’s episode, we’ll dive into some of the most common nut questions (and myths) we hear time and again, and explain where the truth really lies, based on the scientific evidence.  Should you avoid nuts if you’re trying to lose weight? Can you eat nuts if you have diverticular disease? Raw or roasted – which is healthier? Do you need to activate nuts? And are nuts allowed on a low FODMAP diet? The Healthy Handful podcast host, Belinda Neville, speaks with colleague and Accredited Practising Dietitian Maree Hall to unpack the answers to these hot nut questions. About today’s guest Maree Hall is the Digital and Communications Manager at Nuts for Life. Maree has more than 15 years’ experience in communications across a range of channels, working primarily with consumer and healthcare professional audiences. During the past decade she has worked across the food industry sector, as well as for the professions’ national body, Dietitians Australia. Supporting resources: Are fatty nuts a weighty concern? A systematic review and meta-analysis and dose–response meta-regression of prospective cohorts and randomized controlled trials https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/obr.13330 Activating Nuts Podcast Episode: https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/episode-3-activating-nuts/ Summary Audit Report: https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/resource/an-audit-of-the-energy-fat-and-sodium-content-of-nuts/ Sign up to NutENews Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn Credits Host: Belinda Neville Contact us [email protected]

About this episode Consumers today are becoming increasingly more passionate about sustainability and provenance. In this episode, we speak with Macadamias Australia’s Janelle Gerry, about her family’s fascinating journey from tomatoes and zucchinis to macadamias! Today, with more than 200,000 macadamia trees, it has become the largest family-owned, vertically-integrated macadamia business in the world. About today’s guest Janelle is a Director on the Board of Macadamias Australia, a grower, processor and marketer of macadamia nuts and Farmfresh Fine Foods, a vegetable processor manufacturing speciality frozen vegetables. A recognised industry leader, she has served on government, academic and non-for-profit boards. Janelle is also a speaker on family business succession, leadership, women in business and at agricultural forums. Sign up to NutENews Follow us on Instagram, Twitter,  Facebook and LinkedIn Credits Host: Belinda Neville Contact us [email protected]

About this episode In Australia, peanut allergy affects around 3% of the population. Because there is no cure, those with a peanut allergy must adhere to strict avoidance, which can affect quality of life. The good news is we now understand a lot more about trying to prevent food allergies developing, and much research is underway looking at possible treatments, including oral immunotherapy.  In this episode, we speak with lead researcher, Professor Mimi Tang, from Melbourne’s Murdoch Children’s Research Institute to discuss the findings their latest trial - comparing responses to peanut oral immunotherapy, both with and without the addition of a probiotic.   About today’s guest Professor Tang is a Paediatric immunologist allergist at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Group Leader of Allergy Immunology Research at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and a Professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne. Her research programme is focused on developing novel therapies for food allergies that induce disease remission. Professor Tang has received national and international awards recognising her achievements in allergy immunology research and clinical care and is regularly invited to speak at major international scientific meetings in the field. She sits on various expert committees of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, World Allergy Organisation, Asia Pacific Association of Allergy Asthma and Clinical Immunology and the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy. Supporting resources Probiotic peanut oral immunotherapy versus oral immunotherapy and placebo in children with peanut allergy in Australia (PPOIT-003): a multicentre, randomised, phase 2b trial. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00006-2/fulltext Sign up to NutENews Follow us on Instagram, Twitter,  Facebook and LinkedIn Credits Host: Belinda Neville Contact us [email protected]

About this episode Nuts are high in fat and are energy dense. But does this mean regularly eating nuts leads to weight gain? No, and in fact research suggests the opposite - eating nuts is not linked to weight gain. One of the reasons why is that not all the kilojoules in nuts are absorbed.   We speak with Cassandra Nikodijevic on the fascinating results of her PhD research into the metabolisable energy content of nuts. She explains the 'how' and the 'why', and talks us through the differences in kilojoule absorption between nut types and nut forms.   About today’s guest Cassandra Nikodijevic is an Accredited Practising Dietitian. She graduated from the University of Wollongong with a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (Honours) (Dean’s Scholar) in 2018 and began her PhD in nutrition in March 2021. Cassandra currently works in private practice once a fortnight to supplement her PhD. Cassandra’s research explores nut consumption in Australia and the relationship between nut consumption and body weight. Supporting resources Baer DJ, Novotny JA. Metabolizable Energy from Cashew Nuts is Less than that Predicted by Atwater Factors. Nutrients. 2019; 11(1):33. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11010033 Baer DJ, et al. Walnuts Consumed by Healthy Adults Provide Less Available Energy than Predicted by the Atwater Factors. The Journal of Nutrition. 2016; 146(1): 9-13. https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/146/1/9/4585663 Sign up to NutENews Follow us on Instagram, Twitter,  Facebook and LinkedIn Credits Host: Belinda Neville Contact us [email protected]

About this episode This episode is a little bit different! In our ‘best of 2021’ episode, we’re reflecting on the highlights from the year (from a nuts perspective, of course!). The Healthy Handful podcast host, Belinda Neville, speaks with colleague and Accredited Practising Dietitian Maree Hall, to uncover the best, the most popular and the most interesting research, news articles, podcasts and recipes from 2021. Some of which may surprise you! About today’s guest Maree Hall is the Digital and Communications Manager at Nuts for Life. Based in Brisbane, Maree has more than 15 years’ experience in communications across a range of channels, working primarily with consumer and healthcare professional audiences. During the past decade she has worked across the food industry sector, as well as for the professions’ national body, Dietitians Australia. Supporting resources: Are fatty nuts a weighty concern? A systematic review and meta-analysis and dose–response meta-regression of prospective cohorts and randomized controlled trials https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/obr.13330 Small targeted dietary changes can yield substantial gains for human health and the environment https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-021-00343-4 Summary Audit Report: An audit of the energy, fat and sodium content of nuts Sign up to NutENews Follow us on Instagram, Twitter,  Facebook and LinkedIn Credits Host: Belinda Neville Contact us [email protected]

About this episode Habitual nut intake is linked with a range of benefits, including chronic disease prevention. But population consumption data suggests that most Australians are missing out on these benefits, with nut intakes chronically low. Research tells us there are a range of barriers to nut consumption, which may help explain the reasons why so many Australians fall short of the recommended 30g serve of nuts every day. In this episode, we speak with Professor Rachel Brown from the Department of Human Nutrition at the University of Otago. She talks us through the barriers and facilitators to nut consumption (amongst consumers and health professionals), and explore strategies which may help to clarify common misconceptions preventing regular nut consumption. About today’s guest Rachel Brown is a Professor at the Department of Human Nutrition, at the University of Otago in New Zealand where she teaches. She is involved in research in a number of areas, including her favourite - that of nuts and health, which she has been involved in for over 14 years. Supporting resources A comparison of perceptions of nuts between the general public, dietitians, general practitioners, and nurses https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6138036/pdf/peerj-06-5500.pdf Barriers and facilitators to nut consumption: A narrative review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33297407/   Sign up to NutENews Follow us on Instagram, Twitter,  Facebook and LinkedIn Credits Host: Belinda Neville Contact us [email protected]

About this episode Our latest podcast episode takes a fascinating look at the relationship between nuts and cognition. Decades of research supports the role of nuts for chronic disease prevention. But more recently, nuts have been associated with brain health and specifically, cognitive function. In this episode, we speak with researcher Dr Sze-Yen Tan from Australia’s Deakin University to uncover the relationship between nut intake and the cognitive function in older adults. We discuss the potential mechanisms, as well as the types and amounts of nuts needed to benefit brain health.   About today’s guest Dr Sze-Yen Tan is an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian, Senior Lecturer and the Deputy Course Director of the Bachelor of Nutrition Science at Deakin University. Yen is also an active researcher at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), where his research focuses on finding effective dietary strategies that promote healthy body weight and prevent chronic diseases. Supporting resources Associations between nut intake, cognitive function and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in older adults in the United States: NHANES 2011-14 https://bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12877-021-02239-1 Sign up to NutENews Follow us on Instagram, Twitter,  Facebook and LinkedIn Credits Host: Belinda Neville Contact us [email protected]

About this episode The prevalence of food allergy is on the rise. In Australia, 10% of infants have an allergy – a rate which is alarmingly high. Approximately 3% of the population have peanut allergy and 1.6% have an allergy to tree nuts. The good news, is we now understand a lot more about trying to prevent food allergies developing, and much research is underway looking at possible treatments.   But what causes allergy? And why is Australia the ‘allergy capital of the world’? We take a look at the evidence to answer these (and many more) questions about food allergy. About today’s guest Maria Said is the CEO of Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia (A&AA), a position she has held since 1999. Maria works with consumers, teaching and health professionals, the food industry, government and the Australian community. A registered nurse, Maria is an associate member of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) and holds a position on several working parties. She has co-authored numerous publications in medical and food industry journals, and presented at several US and European medical and food industry meetings. Maria is also co-chair of the National Allergy Strategy, a partnership between ASCIA and A&AA, which was launched in Sydney in August 2015. Supporting resources Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia https://allergyfacts.org.au/ National Allergy Strategy – Food allergy prevention projects “NIP allergies in the bub”  https://preventallergies.org.au/ Nuts for Life’s baby food recipe booklet https://www.nutsforlife.com.au/recipe/baby-food-recipes/ Sign up to NutENews Follow us on Instagram, Twitter,  Facebook and LinkedIn Credits Host: Belinda Neville